Broadband News

Thu, 13th Feb 2014

Telstra, NBN Co talks under way

Telstra seeks to maintain the value of its NBN agreement and "enhance regulatory certainty" in negotiations with NBN Co and the government, Telstra CEO David Thodey said today.

Source: Computerworld

Cost cutting saves Optus profit from customer churn

Optus has reported a second quarter of declining mobile customers despite a targeted customer service transformation initiative.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra pours $650 million into mobile infrastructure

Telstra's recent $650 million investment into its mobile infrastructure has seen it add 739,000 retail mobile customers to its books in the six months to December 31.

Source: iTnews Australia

Optus helps SingTel post strong profit

SingTel has reported strong third quarter earnings despite adverse movements in the Australian dollar, helped out by the Optus' profit boost.

Source: ARN

Telstra adds another 739,000 to mobile base

In the last half of 2013, Telstra's mobile customer base grew by another 739,000 services, for a total of 15.8 million active mobile services on its mobile network.

Source: ZDNet Australia

MyNetFone dials up profits

Communications provider My Net Fone Limited (MyNetFone) has reported a substantial increase in revenue and net profits for the half year ended 31 December 2013.

Source: iTWire

Telstra raises dividend amid profit growth

Telstra has lifted its dividend for the first time since 2006, after posting a 9.2 per cent rise in profit.

Source: ABC News

Telstra finally says it's time to Belong

Telstra is extending the reach of its low-cost ADSL ISP Belong and appointed a consumer oriented general manager. Maybe now it will start to promote the service.

Source: iTWire

NBN Co to fast-track technicians into rollout

NBN Co is preparing to change the way it accredits technicians to work on the network rollout, introducing a new option whereby "more experienced individuals" can skip training and be assessed for accreditation straight away.

Source: iTnews Australia

Wed, 12th Feb 2014

Exetel marks 10th anniversary as ISP with new direction

Exetel is marking its 10th year of operations as an Internet service provider by streamlining its plans and launching a rebranding campaign.

Source: Computerworld

NBN Co 'unaware' of Coalition's copper claims

NBN Co has admitted that it is unaware of a key part of the Coalition's broadband policy that estimates 10 percent of premises will still get fibre to the premises because the copper network is unusable for fibre to the node.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Liberal dogma bites as Turnbull faces NBN's 'repugnant' reality

He may not like it, but communications minister Malcolm Turnbull is going to have to make some hard decisions - and accept some hard truths - to turn his alternative NBN policy into anything more than thick reports and empty soundbites.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Google: IPv6 adoption breaches three percent

The number of internet users accessing Google services over IPv6 has breached three percent, pointing to an acceleration of adoption of the next-generation internet protocol, according to internet groups.

Source: iTnews Australia

IPSTAR buys Orion in satellite broadband deal

Major NBN satellite player IPSTAR Australia has acquired Australia's Orion Satellite System in a move to grow its enterprise business.

Source: Computerworld

Telstra denies similarity in Optus and Telstra maps ads

Telstra's case against Optus using a map of Australia in its coverage ad comes shortly after Telstra already had a similar representation in an ad for its 4G network.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Tue, 11th Feb 2014

NBN Co loses construction boss

NBN Co’s head of construction will depart the company after a year in the job, marking the latest of three construction bosses to leave NBN Co in under three years.

Source: iTnews Australia

World's largest DDoS strikes US, Europe

A content delivery network provider has today been hit by what appears to be the world's largest denial of service attack, in an assault that exploits an emerging and frightening threat vector.

Source: iTnews Australia

Vodafone 4G goes live in Canberra

Telecommunications provider, Vodafone, has switched on its 4G network in Canberra, more than eight months after its initial Australian launch in July last year.

Source: ARN

Mon, 10th Feb 2014

Optus deal to relieve NBN satellite constraints

NBN Co appears to be addressing capacity issues on its interim satellite service, buying up more capacity from Optus.

Source: ZDNet Australia

Gel casing degrading Telstra's copper: union

A decade-old gel-like casing used to repair part of the copper network is rapidly decaying it, casting new doubts over a fibre-to-the-node NBN.    

Source: SMH

Fri, 07th Feb 2014

Vodafone stems customer losses in last quarter

Vodafone Hutchinson Australia (VHA) shed 22,000 customer connections in the last quarter of 2013, its lowest customer loss since the company embarked on a range of initiatives to stem customer churn.

Source: iTnews Australia

Public perception of NBN very positive: study

The voting public does not see the national broadband network as a waste of money despite largely negative media coverage, a new study by the Institute of for a Broadband-Enabled Society (IBES) at Melbourne has found.

Source: iTnews Australia

NBN: Concern as copper switch-off looms in Tas

Residents in half a dozen Tasmanian communities have only three and a half months to connect to the National Broadband Network before the copper network in their area is switched off, potentially leaving them without voice services.

Source: Computerworld

Wed, 05th Feb 2014

Malcolm's dilemma: Australians love fibre-to-the-home

An average of 1000 homes and businesses a week have activated an NBN fibre connection in built-up parts of Australia since the beginning of March 2013, but fibre's popularity may not be enough to snare it a more prominent share in Malcolm Turnbull's multi-technology mix.

Source: iTnews Australia

Telstra techs rescued after night in the bush

Two Telstra technicians were rescued by Victoria Police this morning after getting lost while repairing a cable and spending the night in the bush.

Source: iTnews Australia

TPG shares plummet on Turnbull cherry picking comments

Shares in ambitious telco TPG fell 4.39% yesterday after Malcolm Turnbull said its plans to build a fibre optic rival to the NBN may not be legal.

Source: iTWire

Tue, 04th Feb 2014

Visionstream refuses NBN committee

National Broadband Network construction company Visionstream has denied that NBN Co sought to prevent the company from giving evidence to a parliamentary committee, but still refuses to appear before the committee

Source: ZDNet Australia

NBN hearing: homes and business in broadband limbo

Up to 4000 Tasmanian home and businesses could be thrown into a broadband blackspot when their local copper connections are switched off on May 23.    

Source: SMH

Tas aerial NBN plan well received, says Aurora

A Tasmanian Government proposal to complete the state's NBN fibre rollout aerially has been informally "favourably received" by NBN Co, according to the utility whose power poles would be used in the plan.

Source: iTnews Australia

Fear, uncertainty and delays: The NBN in Tasmania

Tasmanian business is desperate for certainty over the future of the National Broadband Network rollout in the state, according to witnesses that appeared before a Hobart hearing of the Senate's Select Committee on the National Broadband Network.

Source: Computerworld